Streaker: Choice of Champions

Ian Jones - a champion! © Streaker class

Eh? What are those pesky Streaker sailors saying now?

We kid you not!

This year the Streaker class celebrates its 40th Anniversary and while researching its history by browsing through old handbooks and newsletters, we've noticed how many past and present Streaker sailors have been, or currently are, champions in other classes - and in some cases in other sports!

This trend was set right back in the early years. The winner of the first Streaker Nationals in 1977 was a young guy called Nick Tillett who had built a Streaker from a kit as something to do in the summer of '76 before going off to university. A few years later he was also National Windsurfer Champion and runner-up in the '84 Olympic trials; since then he's been a top glider pilot. The next two Streaker Nationals were won by Arran Linton-Smith, a young National 12 sailor who was working for Jack Holt Ltd, the suppliers of Streaker boats and kits. Arran now is still competitive as a charity cyclist competing in challenges as far afield as the Himalayas – and in the Prudential Ride London-Surrey 100 event last year he became the Guinness World Record holder for wearing the highest number of branded logos on an item of sports clothing, 106 to be precise!

In 4th place in the '78 Streaker Nationals was a young Debbie Degge – and she was runner up last year in the Nationals at Carsington which shows you can improve with age! But she's also known for her World Championship win in the Toppers in 1990. Another Topper Champion who was eventually attracted to the Streakers is Ian Fryett. He was Topper National Champion in 1981 before winning the Worlds in '82 and '84, and then, with his brother Giles, won the Fireball Europeans in '85. Since then he's been Laser 4000 Champion in 1995 and sailed Streakers in recent years, coming 3rd in the 2012 Nationals.

Over the years Streakers became very popular in northern England, particularly in Yorkshire, so perhaps it's not surprising that many of the region's top dinghy sailors have sailed Streakers at some time in their careers. Most notable amongst these is probably Alan Gillard who has done more than anyone else to steer the development of the Streaker to its modern form. In the 1980s he was Enterprise National Champion three times and World Champion twice, plus winner of the Endeavour Trophy in '86. By the late '80s he was also sailing Streakers and won his first of 10 National Championship titles in the class in 1991. Another Enterprise champion who joined the Streakers is Mike Rimmer although it was some 30 years after winning the Enterprise Nationals and Endeavour Trophy in 1969 that he saw the light!

The earliest GRP Streakers were built by Brian Cory in Kent from 1987; his son Simon, who had started Streaker sailing at the tender age of 14, won the Streaker Southern Area Championships every year from 1991 to '95 and since then has been Buzz National Champion three times. Another ex-Streaker sailor with Kent connections is Paul Hobson, now of North Sails, who was 2nd in the '94 Streaker Nationals before becoming Albacore National Champion a year later.

Steve Cockerill is well known throughout the dinghy sailing world as the winner of championships in many classes including Europe, Laser Radial, RS300 and Graduate, and he's the current World Masters champion in the Laser Radial. His company Rooster Sailing became involved in building Streakers in 2002 and has been instrumental in raising the profile of the class and introducing many new people to it. Steve himself has won 4 Streaker Nationals. Ian Jones has also held National, European and World Laser Radial Masters titles but is often to be seen on the Streaker circuit and has won the Nationals twice and is the current Inland Champion.

Of course, there are many people who have sailed both Lasers and Streakers – including Paul Goodison of Olympic Laser fame who grew up at Ulley SC where his dad had a Streaker.

The current Streaker champion is Tom Gillard. He grew up with Streaker dinghies – his grandfather Peter building them and his father Alan winning in them. Perhaps he had little choice but to sail them himself. However, he has an obvious enthusiasm for them and a natural talent at getting them to excel in all conditions. Still only in his early twenties, he has won the Nationals 4 times while also competing at the highest level in the 420 (European Champion in 2007), Fireball (World champion twice and current National champion) and Scorpion (National champion twice).

Of course, most Streaker sailors are only winning major championships in their dreams and we're not saying the fleet is just composed of superstars. No way. But the fact that top sailors are attracted to the class does add some excitement and before long you can count these guys as your friends. It's that sort of class.

The idea of listing these champions came about because, as we were looking through old newsletters, who should grab the headlines last month but Glen Truswell, winning the 2015 International 14 World Championships. I bet not everyone knows he had been Streaker class champion twice (1998 and '99)!